Guide
You do not need a Social Security Number to get a federal tax ID for your US company. Here is exactly what an EIN is, and how a non-resident owner obtains one through the IRS.
What an EIN is and why you need it
An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a nine-digit federal tax ID the IRS assigns to your business. It identifies your company the way a Social Security Number identifies a person.
You need an EIN to open a US business bank account, connect a payment processor such as Stripe, hire employees or pay contractors, and file federal tax returns. Almost nothing operational happens for a US company until it has one. The EIN itself is free from the IRS — the difficulty is in the process, not a fee.
- Required to open a US business bank account
- Required to connect Stripe and most payment processors
- Required to hire, pay contractors, and file federal taxes
- Free from the IRS — the challenge is the application, not a cost
Why no SSN or ITIN is required
A widespread myth is that you need a Social Security Number, or at least an ITIN, before you can get an EIN. You do not. The IRS issues EINs to companies whose responsible party has no US tax ID at all.
US residents with an SSN can usually apply online and receive the EIN in minutes. The online tool simply is not available to applicants without an SSN or ITIN. That does not block you — it just means you use a different, offline channel: the paper Form SS-4.
- You do not need an SSN to obtain a company EIN
- You do not need an ITIN either — the two are unrelated to the EIN
- The online tool is closed to non-SSN applicants, so you file on paper
- An ITIN is a personal tax ID you may want later, but not for the EIN
The Form SS-4 process for non-residents
Without an SSN, you complete IRS Form SS-4 and submit it by fax or mail. On the form you list yourself (or another owner) as the "responsible party" and, in the space for a tax ID, write "Foreign" instead of an SSN or ITIN.
Fax is generally faster than mail. The IRS reviews the form and issues the EIN, then returns an official confirmation. Getting the responsible-party line, the entity type, and the reason for applying exactly right is where applications commonly stall, so accuracy on the SS-4 matters.
- Complete Form SS-4 and write "Foreign" where an SSN would go
- Submit by fax (faster) or by mail to the IRS
- Name a responsible party — an owner or principal officer
- Match the entity type and reason for applying to your actual formation
Timelines and your confirmation letter
With an SSN and the online tool, an EIN is often issued the same day. Without an SSN, plan for a few weeks — commonly two to six — depending on how busy the IRS is and whether you fax or mail.
Once approved, the IRS issues an EIN confirmation letter, formally the CP 575. Keep it safe: banks and payment processors frequently ask to see it as proof of your EIN, and a replacement is slow to obtain.
- With an SSN online: often same day
- Without an SSN by fax or mail: commonly 2 to 6 weeks
- You receive an official EIN confirmation letter (CP 575)
- Store the confirmation letter — banks and Stripe ask for it
Common mistakes that cause delays
Most avoidable delays come from small inconsistencies: a company name that does not exactly match the state filing, the wrong entity classification, an incomplete responsible-party section, or an unreachable fax number for the return.
Because a rejected or stalled SS-4 can add weeks, many non-resident founders have the application prepared and submitted for them as a third-party designee, which keeps the details consistent and avoids a second round trip with the IRS.
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